Watson inspires Bath victory
13 Dec 2009
Luke Watson picked up the Man of the Match award for his efforts in Bath’s 16-9 win over Edinburgh.
The former Stormers and Springbok loose forward was irrepressible at the breakdown, while another former Cape player in hooker Pieter Dixon crossed for a try in the third minute of the match. Michael Claassens’ side have now picked up their first win since 18 September.
Other European Cup fixtures saw Clermont score five tries in their 40-30 victory over Leicester on Sunday.The French club were without South African Brent Russell for this fixture, but Aussie-born flyhalf Brock James provided the spark they needed. Wing Napolioni Nalaga scored a brace in the first half as Clermont went to the break 25-9 ahead.
Other matches on Sunday saw Sale beat Harlequins 29-19 while Biarritz smashed Newport 49-13. In the latter match, former Lions lock Trevor Hall played off the bench for Biarritz, while ex-Sharks prop Eduard Coetzee was an unused substitute.
77 Comments
13 Dec 2009, 22:06 pm
best loosie in Sa…..Bok captain 2011…..at WC ….go you good thing!!
13 Dec 2009, 22:16 pm
@grant10: Bath is slighty outside of SA … I disagree with the rest of your sentence as well…
13 Dec 2009, 22:35 pm
other good # 8s outside SA who I will go for before Luke,
Joe van Niekerk
Shaun Sowerby
Antonie Claassens
13 Dec 2009, 22:39 pm
@grant10:
#1
Agree, but Peter better open his eyes soon or it might be too late forever and the World Cup will be going down the drain with the Smit/Matfield clan in close pursuit.
And they won’t this time even be able to blame Luke.
13 Dec 2009, 22:50 pm
@Robzim:
Robzim, I don’t undersand why so many people are suddenly against our current crop of Springboks. We currently have some of the best players in the world playing for SA. We should be proud of them, yet we seem determined to break them down. Luke Watson? No boet, there is no denying he is a good player. That should be obvious to all. But what should also be obvious is that he doesn’t want to play for the Boks. He finds the team and all that it stands for repulsive. He doesn’t see it as a building tool of SA.
Sorry Robzim, but he’s drawn his line in the sand.
13 Dec 2009, 22:58 pm
@SafferJohn:
I agree that we have some of the best players in the world but in my opinion a few of them (and that includes the current captain who is already neither the best hooker or prop in SA) will not last till the next world cup and the sooner we replace them the better.
Watson will be more than prepared to lead the new generation of players – why wait?
13 Dec 2009, 23:03 pm
Hahaha, Watson? Nexy Bok captain, don’t think so. Not even high enough in the pecking order to make the side on merit. The closest he will make to the Bok set up is picking up the bokdrol! He would only divide, not unite. Let the doos have his man of the match awards in a boring Bath side and we will stick with the men that count, Smit, Vic and co.
13 Dec 2009, 23:26 pm
@grant10: @Robzim: Evening gentlemen.
13 Dec 2009, 23:28 pm
So I went to watch Invictus yesterday.
What a lovely performance from Morgan Freeman, and just a great reminder on how blessed South Africa has been by Nelson Mandela.
Not Ghandi in movie terms but still worth seeing.
If only to be reminded what it feels like to have a Jimbo Jet fly over your head.
And how sweet “u Tata” sounds.
13 Dec 2009, 23:33 pm
@SodaJoe:
Hi Joe,
I have not seen the movie yet, but will probably go later this week.
Harry Callahan doing rugby just does not sound right to me
13 Dec 2009, 23:39 pm
Rob & Grant.
As good a player Luke Watson is – he is quite far down the pecking order of loose-forwards in SA.
And unlikely to ever be Springbok captain.
I am interested in Antonie Claasen – who has has heart set on playing for France actually. Any body seen him play?
13 Dec 2009, 23:43 pm
@SodaJoe:
Antonie wants to play for France. I never saw him in action, but if he is even a contender for the French team he must be good as they have a number of brilliant loosies.
Hardinoquay for example is one of the best in the business, if not THE best.
13 Dec 2009, 23:46 pm
@SodaJoe:
@Robzim:
#9 and 10,
Harry at his classical best, explaining why he shot a man:
Harry: Well, when an adult male is chasing a female with intent to commit rape, I shoot the *******. That’s my policy.
The mayor: Intent? How did you establish that?
Harry: When a naked man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher’s knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn’t out collecting for the Red Cross!
The Mayor: You got a point.
13 Dec 2009, 23:47 pm
@Robzim: Robbie. This blog has really started to make me unhappy & disappointed with how SA seems to be turning out. Sometimes the viciousness of it just makes me happy my kids don’t ever have to witness, experience it.
But the movie, for all it’s limitations, reminds me that Mandela is an amazing man, and that an inspired South African “hungers for greatness” and this is defining.
But reading this blogs shows me that South Africans just don’t seem so inspired anymore, and thirst for petty small minded anonymous revenge. At best as a nation it culturally appears to be treading water, at a time when it’s profile has never been higher. A waste.
But maybe this is just on Keo. Which is probably true.
But hanging out here has narrowed down to about 6 folks who I like a lot. That’s it. For all the denigration of Rugby-Talk – the racism is absent on the blog, the rugby discourse at times exceptional (and pretty abysmal on Keo technically). Unfortunately my mates hang at out the Keo pub.
13 Dec 2009, 23:50 pm
@Robzim: I agree. I was so impressed with the French team taht took us apart (albeit then got thumped by the All Blacks). Class in all the loosies, and have had for some time.
I really liked Wynand Claasen – very good rugby player, seemed like a man with a mind of his own, when being that was quite tough.
13 Dec 2009, 23:55 pm
@SodaJoe: Hi Soda.
So it is definitely worth watching?
I got all excited about the release, only to find out it doesn’t open in Australia until 21 January 2010.
That’s over 6 weeks after the US and you lads.
And they wonder why Australia has the highest online movie piracy rates per capita in the world!
14 Dec 2009, 00:00 am
@SodaJoe:
#14
soda, unfortunately don’t have time to chat this evening but would like to endorse you views 100%.
not only the the latent race hatred being expressed, but also the level of language in the discourse that really disappoints me. there are no doubt youngsters who read these blogs and for them to witness so called adults spewing filth must be a shock.
for all the mocking anti r-t posts, the maturity level of the average blogger there is infinitely higher than the new generation keolite.
that’s it – gotta go.
goodnight all
14 Dec 2009, 00:03 am
@DonutDunning: Having seen it bud, i would recommend you see it. Not for the rugby so much but for the Mandela theme, and Morgan Freeman’s portrayal is excellent, almost a role he was born to play.
I have no idea why they would stagger the launch in Aus, maybe they think a lot of Southern Hemisphere people would want to wait until after Xmas.
I was relieved that they show photographs of the actual players in the credits, the actors certainly don’t look like real athletes.
Hard to believe that rugby became professional AFTER RWC 1995.
14 Dec 2009, 00:04 am
@DonutDunning:
Morgan Freeman was brilliant.
Matt Dameon wasn’t bad but lacks the size to be a Bok rugby captain (and they don’t hide the fact he’s only 5″10).
The rugby scenes were rushed and rubbish, Clint Eastwoods grandson plays Joel and can’t kick for toffee (his kicking action is a joke).
They also made that Bok team out to be rubbish, and that they won the world cup on emotion alone. They interviewed Joel and he was quite rightly a bit peeved. The Boks on talent alone were still in the top 3.
All in all, a good political movie, with a bit of rugby chucked in for good measure.
6/10.
14 Dec 2009, 00:04 am
@SodaJoe:
Morgan Freeman was brilliant.
Matt Dameon wasn’t bad but lacks the size to be a Bok rugby captain (and they don’t hide the fact he’s only 5?10).
The rugby scenes were rushed and rubbish, Clint Eastwoods grandson plays Joel and can’t kick for toffee (his kicking action is a joke).
They also made that Bok team out to be rubbish, and that they won the world cup on emotion alone. They interviewed Joel and he was quite rightly a bit peeved. The Boks on talent alone were still in the top 3.
All in all, a good political movie, with a bit of rugby chucked in for good measure.
6/10.
14 Dec 2009, 00:07 am
@SodaJoe:
Joe, Keo is definitely not a true statistical representative sample of the modern SA society but I think it is much closer to reality than RT will ever be.
That is just the way things are going here at the moment.
Please don’t go.
14 Dec 2009, 00:11 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark): I agree that the portrayal initially that the Boks were just average was wrong, we had a very very good team, in every position really.
But it’s just a movie, and triumph against the odds – with some “divine intervention’ from Nelsen Mandela will sell more tickets.
The rugby is not inconsequential, but a very hard game to film, and at it’s heart rugby is just context in the movie, a backdrop for a very brave leader of a nation on a thin line.
Don’t see it for the rugby.
7.5/10.
14 Dec 2009, 00:15 am
@Robzim: Rob, if you find place to hang out lets go there. I have become very fond of you, Cab, Gunther, Grant, JustRugby, Charo, Skoppies, Transie, WPTID and some others. And I am not going anywhere whilst you guys are around.
But honestly the disgraceful “defensive racism”, the oftentimes total lack of intellect and maturity, and common sense decency just is not fun.
Not to mention I wish we could discuss rugby with some intelligence.
14 Dec 2009, 00:20 am
@SodaJoe:
Fair points.
As a massive rugby fan (especially on the technical side) I am always going to find issues
Like you said, its not a rugby film. But I still think they should have got an actual rugby player to play Joel Stransky.
14 Dec 2009, 00:21 am
Cab. This is for you.
“Bob Dylan is my 2,507th favourite recording artist, just after Pinky and Perky – a wart on the gall bladder of rock’n’roll.”
Jeremy Clarkson
I now have this image of you as Jeremy Clarkson meets Keith Floyd with a kak taste in music.
Seriously who would actually publish what Jeremy Clarkson thinks of music? The Daily Telegraph.
14 Dec 2009, 00:22 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark): Asterix in London. They should have got rugby players in every position.
If the quality of rugby on film was like “On Any Given Sunday” or even “Friday Night Lights”, the movie would be better, closer to a 9.
14 Dec 2009, 00:23 am
@SodaJoe:
#23
Cheers Joe. Thanks.
btw. Don’t ever play the song “The scientist” by Coldplay out loud if you have a daughter who are having boyfriend troubles.
See u around.
14 Dec 2009, 00:25 am
@SodaJoe: Apologies to the Daily Telegraph – The London Times published the aging Fat Man Who Knows a Lot about Cars, but bugger all about music and what jeans flatter a fat arse Clarkson.
14 Dec 2009, 00:27 am
@Robzim: You know me well enough to know that I try and avoid Coldplay at all costs, despite my son, wife and 16 year old daughter liking them, and thanks for the heads up.
14 Dec 2009, 00:28 am
@SodaJoe:
Funny, that’s exactly what I compared it too (Any Given Sunday).
We’ll have to wait for the yanks to get into their rugby a little more before we get a true ‘rugby’ film.
PS I don’t usually notice things like this but when the Boks were taking their morning jog before the final they ran past a Hyundai Getz. I never knew those were around back in 95
Didn’t bug me but I had to laugh.
14 Dec 2009, 00:38 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark): LOL.
The movie is getting great reviews in the US, pretty much unequivocal “must see” status.
Good for SA.
14 Dec 2009, 00:56 am
@SodaJoe: Hi Soda, glad to see Invictus is actually been talked about tonight, it has taken long enough for me to hear peoples views on the film after all how often does a South African Rugby film get made?
Tonight I have seen some reviews which is interesting.
Good for you for being positive about Rugby-Talk as it is not very fashionable to be seen to praise it, no racist stuff thrown about there, (although some Keoites would like there to be) GBS would not tolerate that, he has made that very clear!
Anyway, don’t get too cheesed off, you are the ‘Keo Ray of Sunshine’!!
14 Dec 2009, 01:07 am
@SodaJoe: I will have you know that Jeremy Clarkson has been in a band that included Stevie Winwood, Alex James (Blur)I have forgotten who else, he learnt to play the drums!!!
I have seen him at two ‘gig’s’ as well, he is a bit ‘Golden Earing’ – Radar Love inclined I understand!!
I met his labrodoodle again today!!
14 Dec 2009, 01:53 am
@Robzim: which part of puke watson will never wear the green and gold do people not understand?? its very simple ,watson is a good player no doubt but he’s a bigger prick than BOD and it’ll be an insult to SArugby if he’s ever to play for the boks or even worse captain the springboks .
14 Dec 2009, 05:36 am
read John Smit’s book – Watson will never play for the Boks with the current squad. I am not sure if he will ever play for the Boks given his views on Bok rugby and the whole puking on Dutchmen etc etc – no matter how good he is!
14 Dec 2009, 06:55 am
This was a pretty entertaining game. Butch is back in training and Olly Barkley will be back soon too, Bath’s season may be about to kick on.
14 Dec 2009, 06:58 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark): 5ft 10in ? Bigger than Fluke Watson?
14 Dec 2009, 07:13 am
Point of fact, Luke is just over 6 feet – still relatively short by SA rugby player standards.
14 Dec 2009, 07:25 am
South African rugby people are FINALLY realising that opensides don’t need to be tall (the rest of the world realised this in the 1970′s!). In fact it helps if they are not tall as they are quicker at winning ball on the ground if they are in the 5’10 to 6’1 range.
If I was Bok selector I’d have Brussouw as no.1 opensider and Luke as backup (if he was available). Schalk would be one of the blindsiders.
14 Dec 2009, 07:40 am
39 Delek – that is why you are not a Bok selector. Out of the top 4 teams in the world at the moment Like Watson would not make any of them. He is NOT a test rugby player physically and mentally.
14 Dec 2009, 07:46 am
Kesbok, provide some reasons why he is not physically or mentally up to test rugby? I tend to prefer my assertions substantiated.
14 Dec 2009, 09:01 am
Apparently Ricky January made a dream début for Ospreys, scoring one of their tries in their 62-7 thumping of Viadana.
Here’s hoping he regains his form and keeps it for the Super 14 next year.
14 Dec 2009, 09:48 am
I didn’t even know Ricky had left Province…!!
14 Dec 2009, 10:41 am
@SodaJoe: Dead Cats!!!!, whats up Soda
14 Dec 2009, 10:52 am
@ufo: He hasnt left, just took up a short contract to help him run away from the Christmas pudding and booze, seems finaly he is taking his life and rugby serious.
14 Dec 2009, 11:04 am
@XhosaKid:
Thanks XKid… thought I’d missed something somewhere… let’s hope he get’s his mojo back…!!
14 Dec 2009, 11:18 am
@TheTackler:
LOL! Matt is at least a head taller than Puke.
14 Dec 2009, 11:20 am
41
OK – mentally. he is not a team player. When he was forced into the Bok camp through back door, he alientated himself. Mentally – he hates what the Bok emblem stands for even though the progress made. i.e nothing will be good enough for him when it comes to Bok (his Pa has poisened his mind)and he will only be happy once the make of the Bok side is to his satisfaction. Mentally – he thinks rugby is run by Dutchmen (last time I checked this really wasn’t the case) and he would like to puke on his Bok jumper – which is a little bit of a technical issue when playing for your country and the Bok. Mentally – he stands for nothing that the Bok tradition and pride stands for and therefor he simply cannot (and other players and supporters will not) allow him to play for the Boks again. i.e he has cooked his goose!
Since you asked – Physically – I know of not one player he has had the better of (I mean really dominated) in S14 rugby. Insofar as the top 4 test teams are concerned he is shorter probably lighter and nowhere near the standard of those loose forwards. To be fair however he has never really been tested agaisnt a full strength ALl Black or Wallaby side so we don’t really know. The reality we might not ever know given his strong views – what he lacks in mental ability he unfortuantely cannot make it up on the field physically.
14 Dec 2009, 11:21 am
@Delek:
I agree, but I would never play Luke purely on team dynamics.
Anyone who says otherwise has obviously never played a lot of rugby. It is the ULTIMATE team game.
If one player isn’t respected (not liked, but respected) it can bugger everything up.
14 Dec 2009, 11:22 am
@SodaJoe:
Bite your tongue, Mr Clarkson, and stop bleating just like a woman.
14 Dec 2009, 11:26 am
@ufo: 43 – ufo, He is only there on loan for about a month or so until the S14 starts. He will be back for WP then.
14 Dec 2009, 11:26 am
@kesbok:
Mmm, I’ll give the guy his due, if he wasn’t such a tool he would be in my squad of 30 players.
14 Dec 2009, 11:30 am
@SodaJoe: 11 – Joe, That is a huge pity. W. Claasen son going to play for France next year. He only has about 10 months to qualify to play for them.
Hear he is playing brilliant rugby. Only went there cause he never got game time here. Had a back injury (think it was a back injury) Now is firmly a French oke. Loves living there and playing his rugby and wants to play for France. Pity.
14 Dec 2009, 11:38 am
He is still a poephol! I hope he does well in England and stays there for a very long time.
The only reason he makes his statements is to curry favour with government for his dads BEE deals.Money grabbing ******** the lot of them cheap dockside whores!!!
14 Dec 2009, 11:41 am
14 Dec 2009, 13:04 pm
GO LUKE WATSON !!!!! THE BEST SA number 8 by far !
14 Dec 2009, 13:10 pm
So Luke said some pretty stupid things in the past!
So what…
Peter De Villiers makes stupid statements, every time he opens his cake-hole.
And most of “US” type worse.
14 Dec 2009, 13:25 pm
best no.8 in south africa?
not even close chaps.
best opensider?
not even close.
best team man?
dont make me laugh.
a very talented player?
undoubtedly.
he had his chance and didnt fit in. let me be more clear, he simply didnt find himself accepted by senior players in the squad. now all you lefties squealing that this is a poor reflection on the senior players should just take a moment to think about what life is all about.
at times, you have to suck hind *** in life and bite your tongue when a person higher than you in the hierachy tells you how things should be done.
as you go through life, you may rise on the hierachy but one thing is for sure, if you dont accept the hierachy, or that life and society has certain non-negotiables, you will struggle. every victory you think you make, will probably be pyrhhic, and you will beat your head against a wall until you realise this.
different people have different timelines on this growth towards maturity. one thing is for sure, if you dont set boundaries for your kids, their growth will be stunted and their lives will be harder than is neccescary.
just like the cave dweller 100 000 years ago who ate more than his share and was cast out, or the cack at high school who did not respect the rules, a person who does not respect the rule set of any society he joins, will not last long.
from what i have seen, luke has toned down his rhetoric and taken a step back from the cauldron that is south african rugby and i wish him well on his personal path.
time will tell if he finds his way back into the inner fold of the springbok team but that will depend on him, no one else.
14 Dec 2009, 14:23 pm
@rangerman: for a guy that’s piss-poor in your eyes you actually wrote a very long post!
14 Dec 2009, 14:29 pm
@Valkyrie: i never used the words piss poor mate.
in fact i said he is undoubtedly a very talented player.
just not THE BEST at no. 8 or at no. 6 imo.
the abscence of emotion in my post should be all the clue you need as to my intentions.
14 Dec 2009, 14:55 pm
Well said Ranger
14 Dec 2009, 15:32 pm
@rangerman: respect a hierachy that repulses you & that you wish to raze…
14 Dec 2009, 15:37 pm
I hate the guy. I hate anyone who sucks up to the ANC just to get ahead. However, I think at the moment he’s the best performing no 8 in SA. You guys are probably gonna eat me alive for this, but Pierre Spies pisses me off with the way he can never play well in the Springbok jersey. He’s always one of the best players in the CC and S14 but whenever it comes to the Boks, he’s completely annonymous. Why I get so mad is because he is a freak of nature and has the ability to be one of the most destructive rugby players on the planet, but just doesn’t do it. I think Spies should play wing. We’ll have a paceman like Habana on the one wing, and a quick and incredibly strong wing on the other side. Then PDV must just drop the whole over-seas policy thing and put Watson at no. 8 and JDV at centre and Frans Steyn at fullback.
14 Dec 2009, 15:40 pm
@rugbywriter: He doesn’t suck up to the ANC to get ahead. They all support the ANC because they truly believe in their message…
personally I don’t know who I would vote for… think they’d all stuff it up eventually
14 Dec 2009, 15:41 pm
@rugbywriter: In defence of Spies he did operate behind a pack that was piss poor at the scrums….and not easy at 8 when the scrum in turbo reverse.
Dont hate so much…its unhealthy.
Watson. Joe V Niekerk and Dewalt Potgieter are more natural 8th men than Spies…..
But Spies has that explosive ability…..first see him behind a better scrum before judging i reckon…
14 Dec 2009, 15:48 pm
@grant10: I tellin Luke you don’t like him no more…lol jk
14 Dec 2009, 16:01 pm
@grant10:lmao @ “turbo reverse” the wp scrum made luke shine in the cc
@rugbywriter: i also hate uninformed people!
14 Dec 2009, 16:10 pm
Lots of Grinches here I see.
14 Dec 2009, 18:18 pm
@grant10:
Does the UK rugby gives us a real measure of Watson’s ability and skills?
At the Top of the Guinness Premiership League are Sarecens, they have a bunch of good S African forwards but they aren’t the best, Van Heerden, Ernest Joubert are over the hill, while Brits, Melk and Reynecke are very good players but were not in the starting line up at their SAs teams.
No disrespect to Watson whom do I rate, and I don’t forget it was him and another 6 forwards who held against the ABs in Dunedin among them Mujati and Steenkamp who faked tackle after tackle last 10 minutes
14 Dec 2009, 18:27 pm
@rugbywriter:
It’s a loose forwards combo and weakness of the front row that let the Spies of the Super14 & CC down.
Spies ideally is combined with SB and J Smith, when the combo included Brussow, he has many other assignments that sapped his power and energy, thus he is invisible, but IMO he did his share rather satisfactory in the Boks’ tests this year
14 Dec 2009, 18:50 pm
@Hondo: #70
Spies played with SB ans JS most of his games as a Bok. He was anonymous in most.
Did he also have other assignments then?
14 Dec 2009, 22:55 pm
@nama1:
I thought he was very good against the BILs.
He is prominent on the hard surface, but I’ll take JvN, Duan Vermulen or Albert anywhere else ahead of Spies
Maybe an impact player off the bench is his best position at Test level?
15 Dec 2009, 04:18 am
Without doubt Luke is a very good player but if we ignore the politics, note that Luke had a game for the Boks (Fiji, Tonga?) and did not impress at all – nothing about team mates etc etc.
15 Dec 2009, 12:03 pm
@Transformation: Trans, the ‘hierarchy’ was actually very positive about Like until he started ordering people to put him in the bok team to reward his dad for supposedly being part of the ‘resistance’.
15 Dec 2009, 12:06 pm
Many people make a good career by stepping on stones, and staying in the spotlight. That’s fine. Problem is you should be able to live with the consequences. When there were a backlash he kicked back by playing the ‘discrimination’ card. Heck… nobody even cares what Cheeky supposedly did or didn’t do. I don’t think anyone even heard his name (much less remember it) until Luke made an *** of himself in the media.
15 Dec 2009, 12:19 pm
@Bouts:
Pretty much summed it up
Luke is a talent no doubt, but the controversies he created since his started playing super12 rugby affected his developement.
He almost always takes the wrong option with ball in hand, that’s because he always tries to prove people wrong, this aspect of his gane hiders his upgrade from a very good forward to a Test rated player
simple
15 Dec 2009, 17:32 pm
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark):
How did you see the game in London? I read it was only screening here on 5th Feb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!which I thought was as retarded as it gets!
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.